Several people jumped out of windows to escape the blaze in Dijon
Seven people have been killed and 11 seriously injured by a fire in a nine-storey hostel housing immigrants in the eastern French city of Dijon.
One person died after jumping from the seventh floor of the building, while the other six died from the effects of smoke inhalation.

Nicaragua says its troops will not withdraw
The Organization of American States has urged Nicaragua and Costa Rica to withdraw their security forces from a disputed river border, where there has been tension for a month.
In a resolution, the OAS said the two countries should begin urgent talks to resolve their differences.

Israel's 10-month construction freeze in the West Bank expired on 26 September
Israel's prime minister has briefed his cabinet on a package of incentives the US has proposed if it renews a partial freeze on settlement construction.Washington has reportedly said it will strengthen its commitment to oppose UN resolutions critical of Israel, and

The Republic of Ireland's government has not formally denied it is in talks with the EU
The Republic of Ireland is in preliminary talks with EU officials for financial support, the BBC has learned.
It is now no longer a matter of whether but when the Irish government formally approaches the European Financial Stability Fund

Through the present Call for Missions the Director of Science and Robotic Exploration solicits from the broad scientific community proposals for the competitive selection of mission concepts to be candidate for the implementation of one medium-size (M-class) mission for launch in 2022, following the launch of the first L-class mission. The deadline for submission of proposals is 3 December 2010, 12:00 (noon) Central European Time.

Establishing if life ever existed on Mars is one of the outstanding scientific questions of our time. To address this important goal, the European Space Agency (ESA), in cooperation with NASA, has established the ExoMars Programme to investigate the Martian environment and to demonstrate new technologies paving the way for a future Mars sample return mission in the 2020's.
Two missions are foreseen within the ExoMars programme: one consisting of an Orbiter plus an Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator (to be launched in 2016) and the other, with a launch date of 2018, consisting of two rovers. Both missions will be carried out in cooperation with NASA.

The idea of other planets hidden in the vastness of space has long captured human imagination and there has been a recent explosion in the number of exoplanets discovered, with the total fast approaching 500. As the research community heads towards this milestone, ESA called on them for recommendations on how the Agency could build upon this success. The result is a recently published roadmap from the Exoplanet Roadmap Advisory Team (EPR-AT), which looks at the future of the field and how to reach their ultimate, long-term goal: finding an Earth-like planet with possible signatures of life.

As of March 22 we are no longer collecting names for IKAROS, however you can still send your name and message on the LightSail mission.
A pioneering mission is preparing to set sail and you can be aboard!
Lightsail, a project of The Planetary Society, will merge the ultra-light technology of nanosats with the ultra-large technology of solar sails setting a course to the stars. LightSail-1 is the beginning of an innovative program that will launch three separate spacecraft over the course of several years.

The Globalist is a daily online magazine about the global economy, politics, and culture.

Amidst all the hype surrounding its Asian counterparts China and India, Brazil has quietly but firmly established itself as one of the world's most dynamic economies. As the country prepares to elect a new president, we wonder: Which of these statements about Brazil are true?

LONDON: Britain will run out of internet addresses by 2012, warns a web scientist.
Vint Cerf, a Google vice-president, said the "unbelievable" trend could prevent British businesses from communicating with their customers around the world and in the country.

YANGON, MYANMAR: Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, freed from seven years of house arrest, told thousands of cheering supporters on Sunday that she would continue to fight for human rights and the rule of law in the military-controlled nation. She called for face-to-face talks with the junta's leader.